P ho to gr ap h: J im S pi tle r P ai nt in g: © S E P 1 9 3 6 110 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37203 800.876.SING (7464) | 615.313.7620 (fax) www.barbershop.org | info@barbershop.org
Electronic Press Kit
for Members
Mission: The Barbershop Harmony Society brings men togetherin harmony and fellowship to enrich lives through singing. Vision: To be the premier membership organization
oC Times
2008 International Quartet Champion
Eureka!
2008 International Seniors
Quartet Champion
Masters of Harmony
2008 International Chorus Champion
Ringmasters
2008 Bank of America
Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Champion
The Marcsmen of san Marcos
2008 Youth Chorus Champion
Champions
EaCH YEaR The Barbershop Harmony Society holds contests in quartet and chorus singing, held at local, regional, and international levels. International champions are named in chorus, quartet, and college-quartet divisions at the international convention each July; international seniors champions are named at the midwinter convention each January.
Governance
The Society is governed by an elected board of directors; administered by a 30-person professional staff at Harmony Hall in Nashville, Tennessee.
Motto
Keep the Whole World Singing
Worldwide Activity
We have affiliated barbershop organizations in Finland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Ireland, South Africa, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Great Britain. There are also barbershop singers in Denmark, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and parts of the former Soviet Union.
Founding
First meeting: April 11, 1938 at the Roof Garden of the Tulsa Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
activities of the organization
Youth in Harmony
Designed to preserve the art form by introducing it to a new generation of singers, Harmony Explosion camps give high school men the opportunity to explore harmony with their peers. Bank of America Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Contest selects a national champion from colleges across the continent. Educator outreach introduces barbershop to music teachers at all grade levels.
Education
The Society is focused on the education of members and the general public in music appreciation, particularly barbershop singing. For more details about the numerous development seminars and schools held each year, please refer to the Benefits of Membership section. The Society also publishes numerous manuals and produces videos on vocal techniques, singing skills, and chapter administration.
Facts about the Barbershop
Harmony Society
Charitable Activities
Barbershoppers donate money, time and performances to local charities. They also proudly support the Society’s official charity, Harmony Foundation, Inc. The Foundation mission is “to be a leading philanthropic force dedicated to perpetuating the barbershop harmony art form for present and future generations to enjoy.” Harmony Foundation coordinates support for special projects such as Directors College scholarships, Harmony Explosion Camps and the Interactive Learning Center/ Museum/Hall of Fame facility scheduled to open in 2011 at the new headquarters facility in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition, the Foundation’s endowment program helps ensure the legacy of barbershop music.
Advocacy
One of the missions of the organization is advocacy at all levels of society to keep recreational and social singing an important part of our culture.
Public Performances
Performances enhance community cultural life, preserve the art form, and bring cheer to all. Quartets and choruses contribute more than 100,000 man-hours per year singing for more than half a million people at churches, schools, hospitals, senior centers, etc.
Music Publishing
The Society distributes sheet music, audio and video recordings for entertainment and education.
Competition
Society-sanctioned contests in quartet and chorus singing are held at local, regional, and international levels. International champions are named in chorus, quartet, and college-quartet divisions at the international convention each July; international seniors champions named at the midwinter convention each January.
Barbershop Harmony Defined
Four-part, unaccompanied, close-harmony singing, with melody in the second voice, called the “lead.” Tenor (counter-tenor voice) harmonizes above the lead singer; bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone provides in-between notes, to form consonant, pleasing chords. Barbershop is a “melting pot” product of African-American musical devices, European hymn-singing culture, and an American tradition of recreational music. Melodies are in the vocal and skill range of the average singer, with lyrical emphasis on simple, heartfelt emotions.
Benefit Summary
This 501(c)(3) non-profit organization was founded in 1938 and is the hub that links 16 districts, over 800 chapters, thousands of quartets and nearly 30,000 individuals throughout North America. Membership in the world’s largest all-male singing society provides many benefits: A dynamic website, bi-monthly magazine, weekly and monthly electronic newsletters, how-to publications, and electronic messaging keep members abreast of news and current developments. Society and district conventions, district schools, chapter officer training programs, and the highly successful Harmony College and Directors College provide opportunities for leadership, musical, membership and performance development and a forum for the exchange of new ideas. Encouraging vocal music in our schools and committees is a fundamental ideal of the Society and keeps music and the arts more relevant in these times of diminished focus and funding. Musical directors, administrators, arrangers, composers, music educators, singers, and fans of barbershop harmony can stay current with the latest news and information in this field through the benefits of membership.
Purpose
Perpetuates and celebrates harmony in the barbershop style •
Promotes fellowship and friendship among men of good will •
Provides the opportunity to experience the joy of four-part a cappella singing •
Introduces and sustains music in the lives of people everywhere •
Values
The joy of singing and ringing chords in four-part barbershop harmony •
Fellowship and friendship •
Service to others through our music •
Publications
subscription to The Harmonizer Magazine – The Barbershop Harmony Society’s bi-monthly magazine, The Harmonizer, features interviews and profiles; chapter, chorus, quartet and affiliate organizational news and activities; opinion and commentary; coverage of the International and Midwinter Conventions; leadership strategies; marketing, membership, performance development and meeting programming techniques; advice on artistic issues; and free music in the form of a new “tag” in each issue.
subscription to Livewire – The Barbershop Harmony Society’s weekly electronic newsletter, with timely news; links to important sources of information; training program updates; and tools you can put to immediate use.
subscription to Directly Involved – The Barbershop Harmony Society’s electronic newsletter, published quarterly, with timely news; links to important sources of information; training program updates; and tools to help chorus directors improve their skills and the enjoyment of their singers.
subscription to On the QT – The Barbershop Harmony Society’s electronic newsletter, published quarterly, brings quartet singers great ideas on performance, singing skills and programs of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Online Resources
Members-Only Website
Member information – The new members only Ebiz site makes it easy for you to manage your records, renew your membership, register a quartet, subscribe and unsubscribe to mailing lists, access FAQs and more.
Chapter information – Access chapter rosters and supplemental information, ASCAP reports, register your show, list chapter officers, view chapter member dues information, view suspended members, report chapter officers, view dues for chapters and view chapters with milestone anniversaries.
District information – Access membership summaries, list all chapter officers / district directory data, district quartet list, chapter officer email finder, district-wide suspended member list, member lookup by occupation code.
society information and services – Find another member, find a quartet, find a chapter, Society & District
officer rosters, and access to media lists to help promote chapter events and programs are some of the more popular resources available.
Contest and Judging information – Access contest entry and judging availability forms, judge’s roster, quartet details, contest registration logs, contest scores and the Contest Administrators handbook.
Conferences
annual international summer Convention and Contest – A week-long International Convention held in attractive locations throughout North America, designed to bring barbershop harmony enthusiasts from around the world together in one place and to witness 2,000 competitors in the top choruses and quartets compete, participate in educational workshops, seminars, attend concerts, group meetings, a meeting of the Society Board of Directors and enjoy countless networking opportunities with 10,000 Barbershoppers from around the world.
annual international Midwinter Convention and Contest – A week-long convention held in attractive locations throughout North America, designed to bring barbershop harmony enthusiasts from around the world together in one place to attend concerts featuring the current top five medalist quartets, contests featuring the top seniors quartet competitors and the new International Youth Chorus Festival and Contest. Attendees can also participate in educational workshops, seminars, group meetings, a meeting of the Society Board of Directors and enjoy countless networking opportunities with 1,200 Barbershoppers.
District Conventions – Each of our 16 Districts host a weekend convention each spring and fall. Competitions are held to determine Quartet and Chorus Champions as well as International Contest representatives. These weekends also offer the opportunity for group meetings and meetings of the district leadership teams.
Professional Development and Educational Offerings Society-Level
Harmony University – With a faculty of 60, Harmony University is an intensive week-long educational offering with the aim of helping members enjoy their hobby more, share that joy with others, and continually experience growth. This program includes Harmony College, Quartet College and Directors College. General Studies – classic educational offerings, including vocal production, arranging and songwriting, performance, history, tag singing and more.
Quartet College – A week of intensive coaching for quartets. Curriculum varies from year to year but often includes classes like: The Quartet Experience; Sight Singing For Beginners; Intermediate Sight Singing; Woodshedding At Its Best; Fundamentals Of Music; Emcee/Spokesman For Quartets; Creative Interpretation; How To Be A Great Tenor; Lead Baritone and Bass; Vocal Techniques; Seniors Quartet Experience; Insights into Comedy; Effective Quartet Warm-ups; Rehearsal Techniques For Quartets; Choosing Music For Quartets; and Marketing For Quartets and Chapters.
next Generation – Young Singers from 11-23 have a special place to have fun and learn skills to make them better singers and performers.
Music Educators Track – Special topics for the professional musician wishing to bring barbershop harmony to the classroom.
Directors College – Develop as a musician, leader, and passionate advocate for barbershop harmony. Participate in the acclaimed “On To The Rehearsal” course. Curriculum varies from year to year but often includes classes like: Directing Techniques; Sound Management; Theory, How To Teach What You Know; Performance / Leadership, On To The Rehearsal; Effective Choral Warm-ups; Teaching Pedagogy; Habits Of Successful Chorus Directors; Music Team Development; Class Voice For Directors; and Care & Feeding of the Small Chorus.
District-Level
Chapter Leadership Conferences – Now known as Leadership Academy, these regional weekend schools and workshops offer leadership development training and education for members and chapter leaders
District Music schools – Known as Mini-Harmony Education Programs, these weekend schools are held to provide education and coaching for quartets and choruses.
Top Gun schools – Schools are geared towards the top quartets in each district (handled on a “by invitation” only basis).
Pop Gun schools – Schools are geared towards the top senior quartets in each district.
Programs
standing ovation Program – designed to utilize Standing Ovation Reviewers in each district trained to find the elements of a performance that leads to standing ovations and provides constructive and confidential feedback to the chapter to help make their next show better, making that product more attractive to prospective members.
Music Mentor Program – designed as an “internal vehicle” to provide Chapter Choruses with strong, skilled guidance to dramatically improve their performance level, thereby enhancing individual members’ experiences and prompting increased member retention.
Quartet Development & services Program – designed to provide better tools and increased skill to quartet singers thereby encouraging both member satisfaction and attraction of new members through high-quality public performance levels.
Chorus Director Workshop intensive Programs – CDWI-1 – a day long program designed for two full sessions with five invited directors and the two CDWI trainers meeting privately to discuss the challenges and successes of their chorus programs. These discussions include identifying the motivations and challenges of the director and the members and reviewing options available to overcome those challenges, including methods to create more successful rehearsals and performances. Directors then have the opportunity to direct a live chorus implementing the solutions chosen by the director during the morning session. Video and live feedback is provided to help directors gain command of their skills. CDWI-2 is also a day long program, but gets even more in-depth and allows directors to develop newer skills and solutions. CDWI-Next Level program is an even more focused, in-depth look at the director and his/her chorus, and takes place during a regular chorus rehearsal.
outstanding in Front Program – a one day workshop designed for section leaders, warm-up leaders, chorus vocal coaches, assistant directors interested in the prospect of directing some day, or any group of directors wishing useful basic information about the challenging job of directing a chorus, leading singers and the development of a music team.
Music Publication Program – designed to provide members (and, therefore, prospective members who hear the product) with the highest-quality songs, arrangements and learning media possible for execution by members of quartets and choruses, thus enhancing member retention.
Chapter Counselor/CsR Program – uses volunteer leaders to help chapters deal with director issues; to help chapter leaders develop ideas to keep them on task; to help chapters grow and retain members; enhance enjoyment and fun at chapter meetings; develop strategies to create more community awareness.
Merchandising
Members can receive member pricing at The Harmony Marketplace, which stocks over 1,700 different music-related items, including a wide variety of audio and video recordings, apparel, gift items, and music education materials. The Harmony Marketplace also distributes over 5,000 vocal arrangements for men and over 400 vocal arrangements for women. Part-predominant learning media is available for over 500 of these vocal arrangements. Members can shop via the catalog, online at www.harmonymarketplace.com, at the Society’s Midwinter and International Conventions, at Harmony University, and at the new retail store at the Society’s headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.
Assistance from Headquarters Staff
Advice on shows and scripts •
Assistance with securing copyright clearances on sheet music, including securing permission to arrange a song •
Distribution of published and unpublished arrangements from over 800 vocal arrangers •
Assistance with securing mechanical and synchronization licenses for audio and video recordings •
General information and records research •
Interpretation of rules and regulations •
Interpretation of bylaws and statements of policy •
Reservation of a quartet’s name in the Quartet Registry •
Staff visitations to chapters and districts •
Access The Old Songs Library •
Processing of chapter and district dues •
Member Pricing
Harmony University – Harmony College/Directors College/Quartet College •
For exhibitors at the International Convention •
Advertising in
• The Harmonizer Competition
Enter Barbershop Harmony Society-sanctioned district and international contests for quartets and choruses geared to a variety of performers, including:
International Chorus Championship •
International Quartet Championship •
International Seniors Quartet Championship •
International Youth Festival & Contest •
Bank of America Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Contest •
Protection and Use of the Name and Logo
The Society allocates resources to the protection of our name and logo not only in North America, but around the world. Members may use the Barbershop Harmony Society name and “signature” logo to identify affiliation with the world’s largest all-male singing organization.
Other Benefits
Chapter insurance and bonding at a fraction of normal cost •
Performance license clearance •
Non-profit classification under section 501(c)(3) of US tax code •
Membership development assistance •
Access to patron lists and former singers •
Special member pricing from Hertz •
The Code of Ethics of the Barbershop Harmony Society states: “We shall accept for
membership only congenial men of good character who love harmony in music or have a desire to harmonize.”
Through the years, more than 300,000 men have been accepted for membership, from all walks of life; indeed, few hobbies embrace a broader spectrum of individuals than does barbershopping. By way of illustration, in a recent international
competition, one quartet was composed of a pastor, a programmer, a printer and an artist; another quartet was made up of a dentist, a mailman, a banker, and a nursing home administrator.
Among the many devotees of barbershop harmony are some figures who are household names in America. While any Barbershopper will tell you that harmonizers are the nicest fellows on Earth, we’d like to call your attention to some of our brothers, past and present, who have achieved fame in other spheres.
Politics and Government Harry s Truman U.S. President
alfred E. smith Governor of New York
William sessions Director of Federal Bureau of Investigations
John ashcroft Attorney General
Trent Lott U.S. Senator
Jim Jeffords U.S. Senator
Musicians
Bing Crosby Singer, actor, former Barbershop Harmony Society board member
irving Berlin Composer of “God Bless America,” “White Christmas,” hundreds of hits, honorary member
Mitch Miller Orchestra leader, host of “Sing Along with Mitch” television show, honorary member
Fred Waring Choral conductor, leader of the Pennsylvanians, honorary member
Meredith Willson Author and composer of The Music Man, honorary member
The Buffalo Bills Famous quartet from The Music Man on Broadway and film, international quartet champion, 1950
The osmond Brothers Preteen quartet, later pop music stars, honorary members
Ferde Grofé Composer of classical music; “Grand Canyon Suite”
Burl ives Folk singer, actor, Oscar winner
Gordon Lightfoot Pop singer, composer of “Sundown,” “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”
sigmund spaeth Music critic, “The Tune Detective”
James Melton Opera singer
Jerrod ottley Director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Victor Borge Pianist, comedian
Jim Pike Member, The Lettermen
sherrill Milnes Opera singer, honorary member
Bob Flanigan Member, The Four Freshmen, and honorary member
Gene Puerling Grammy Award-winning arranger, The Hi-Los and Singers Unlimited and honorary member
The oak Ridge Boys Honorary members
Entertainment
Bill Gaither Award-winning songwriter, producer and performer and honorary member
Dick Van Dyke Television and film actor, singer, honorary member
Bill Hanna Creator of “The Flintstones,” many other television cartoon series, honorary member
Groucho Marx Actor, comedian, host of “You Bet Your Life”
Pat o’Brien Film actor
ned Beatty Film actor
James Gregory Television (Captain Luger on Barney Miller) and film actor
Burt Mustin Television and film character actor
Bob Lally Television director (The Jeffersons)
John Miller Chief Marketing Officer, NBC television network
Sports
Tom Henrich Professional baseball player
Greg Buttle Professional football linebacker
George Luken, Jr. Professional basketball player
Bobby Bragan Professional baseball executive
Radio’s Golden Age
arthur Godfrey Radio and television personality, honorary member
art Baker Radio and television personality, actor
Jim Jordan Star of “Fibber McGee and Molly” radio series
Chester Lauck Lum of “Lum ‘n’ Abner” radio series
The King’s Men Professional quartet, regulars on “Fibber McGee and Molly”
The sportsmen Professional quartet, regulars on Jack Benny radio series
Putting a song in the heart of every person on Earth just might be the key to harmony in
international affairs, and “Keep the Whole World Singing” — the motto of the Barbershop Harmony Society, might be the key to peace in our time.
The Barbershop Harmony Society is committed to the cause of world harmony through song. Thanks in part to the
outreach efforts of Society and other barbershop organizations, more than 70,000 people around the world are active in the barbershop movement today.
Barbershop harmony is a uniquely American art form, dating back to the tonsorial parlors and minstrel shows of the late 1800s. The Barbershop Harmony Society was founded in 1938 by two men from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who were nostalgic for the days when four-part harmony was a natural part of contemporary popular music. The organization quickly grew from coast to coast, and became international in stature in 1944, when a chapter was chartered in Windsor, Ontario.
Today, the Barbershop Harmony Society has nearly 30,000 members in North America. Another 4,000 men and women enjoy the hobby in eight affiliated organizations worldwide.
But the pleasure of close-harmony singing is not restricted to men only; independent organizations for women in the United States, Canada and abroad number more than 30,000 active participants. All told, there are more than 70,000 aficionados of barbershop-style harmony in the various organizations that together make up the World Harmony Council.
Barbershop harmony was pretty much restricted to North America until the late 1950s, when Harry Danser of Sussex, England, vacationed in New York City and heard the famous Buffalo Bills perform in Meredith Willson’s hit musical,
The Music Man. On his return to England, filled with an infectious enthusiasm and an armload of recordings, he formed a barbershop quartet. In 1964, he founded the Crawley Barbershop Harmony Club. Subsequent visits to England by
Barbershoppers encouraged the formation of more clubs, and in 1974, the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) was established.
Other national organizations formed throughout the world in the years that followed, and have established affiliation agreements with the Society, and the movement continues to grow.
Reports of barbershop activity continue to come in from all parts of the world. Barbershop is found wherever there are American expatriate communities, including Japan, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Brazil, Italy, Israel, Spain, Mexico and elsewhere. In 1988, the spirit of glasnost gave rise to the formation of the Quiet Don Quartet, a Russian barbershop group from the city of Rostov, located on the Don River near the Black Sea. The Quiet Dons toured the United States in 1990, making a number of appearances, including performances at Carnegie Hall in New York and at Disneyland in California.
Barbershop Harmony
Harmony for Women
In 1945, a group of women who loved that same chord-ringing, fun-filled music called barbershop decided it was time for an organization of their own, and founded Sweet Adelines International in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where it maintains its headquarters today. Sweet Adelines International has over 26,000 women, all singing in English, includes choruses in most of the fifty United States, as well as in Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden and the Netherlands. There are also prospective choruses in Denmark, Greece and United Arab Emirates. The organization encompasses more than 1,200 registered quartets and 600 choruses.
A second association for women called Harmony, Inc. was formed in 1957, and now numbers approximately 2,700 members, concentrated mostly in the northern and eastern regions of North America. The three North American barbershop organizations are wholly separate entities, although some collaborative activities are undertaken by local choruses. There are many families in which barbershop harmony is a way of life, with parents and children singing in quartets and choruses in their communities.
A World United in Song
Barbershop Harmony society
British association of Barbershop singers (BaBs) society of nordic Barbershop singers (snoBs) Dutch association of Barbershop singers (DaBs)
new Zealand association of Barbershop singers (nZaBs) australian association of Men Barbershop singers (aaMBs) southern Part of africa Tonsorial singers (sPaTs)
Barbershop in Germany (BinG!) (mixed) irish association of Barbershop singers (iaBs) Finnish association of Barbershop singers (FaBs) sweet adelines international (female)
Harmony inc. (female, Usa & Canada)
Ladies association of British Barbershop singers (LaBBs) Holland Harmony (female)
Visit www.harmonymarketplace.com for a wide variety of audio and video recordings,
music themed apparel, gift items, and music education materials, including over 5000 vocal
arrangements for men and over 400 vocal arrangements for women.
OC Times 2008 International Quartet Champion Masters of Harmony 2008 International Chorus Champion Ringmasters 2008 Bank of America Collegiate Barbershop Quartet Champion
YOu’ll geT TO:
1. Sing your heart out.
2. Sharpen your singing skills.
3. Establish lasting friendships.
4. Enrich lives – yours and others’.
5. Have some fun!
The Barbershop Harmony Society…
where it’s all about the music…
and 30,000 other men to sing it with you.
Musical leadership opportunities are
available for men and women.
For more information:
Barbershop Harmony Society 110 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37203 800.876.SING (7464) | 615.313.7620 (fax) www.barbershop.org | info@barbershop.org
The Marcsmen of San Marcos
2008 International Youth Barbershop Champion
